The Hearst Foundations

03/08/2010

Neighborhood Networks provides potential funding sources to help centers develop and improve programs and services. Featured this week are The Hearst Foundations. The Hearst Foundations’ goal is to ensure that people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to build healthy, productive, and inspiring lives. The charitable goals of the foundations reflect the philanthropic interests of publisher/philanthropist William Randolph Hearst, who founded the Hearst Foundation, Inc. in 1945. Both foundations are national private philanthropies operating independently from The Hearst Corporation. Program Areas: The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that focus on education, health, culture, and social service issues and and primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. Within these areas, the foundations generally provide endowment, program, and capital grant support. Private nonprofits with significant support from the philanthropic community are favored over those financed through government sources. Of The Hearst Foundations’ funding priorities, the area of most relevance to Neighborhood Networks centers is social service. The Hearst Foundations work with comprehensive direct-service organizations that foster effective solutions to social and economic problems. Priority is given to efforts that enable children, youth, and families to lead productive and independent lives. The foundations’ interests include family support services, domestic violence and child abuse prevention, afterschool programs, youth development, literacy, housing and homelessness, job training, economic development, and programs for older adults. Target Areas: National. Eligibility: The foundations award grants to organizations with valid Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Applicants should be listed in the current IRS Cumulative List of Tax-Exempt Organizations (Publication 78). In addition, on a limited basis, the foundations will consider requests for: Proposals from organizations with an operating budget under $1 million. Start-up or seed funding. Publishing, radio, film, television, or other media-related projects. Conferences, workshops, or seminars. The foundations will not consider requests for: Grants to individuals. Grants to organizations outside of the United States or to organizations who intend to use Hearst grant funds outside of the United States. Advocacy and public policy research. Special events, tickets, tables, or advertising for fundraising events. Loans, including Program Related Investments (PRIs). Award Amount: Award amounts vary. Application Process: The foundations use an open submission process. Applications from organizations applying for social service grants from the foundations must include: A brief cover letter. A one-page executive summary. A five-page proposal narrative and attachments that includes: An executive summary with the key points of the proposal. The executive summary should describe the purpose and relevance of the request, and indicate the dollar amount of the grant being sought. A narrative that includes: Organizational history and purpose that describes the mission, governing structure, principal activities, and population served. This narrative should also answer the question: What distinguishes your organization from others in the field? A statement of need that identifies the needs that the request addresses and substantiates the case with pertinent data, including detailed demographic information about the populations being served. A program description that identifies the program's goals and objectives, activities, numbers served, facilities, timeline, staffing plan, and potential impact. An evaluation method that indicates how program outcomes and effectiveness will be measured. This section should also include findings from previous evaluation efforts, if available. A conclusion that summarizes the proposal's main points. Supporting documentation is necessary to ensure a complete and fair review of each grant application. This includes: Organizational operating budget for the previous and current fiscal years and explanation of any deficits. Program budget for the previous and current fiscal years. List of foundation and corporate grants for the previous and current fiscal years, for both the organization and program. Include the dollar amounts of each grant of $50,000 and above. Current market value of institutional endowment. Names and primary affiliations of officers and board members. Current IRS documentation certifying that the applicant is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and not a private foundation under Section 509(a). The applicant should be listed in the current IRS Cumulative List of Tax-Exempt Organizations (Publication 78). Most recent audited financial statements. If an organization is presenting a qualified audit, explain corrective action. Most recent annual report. Supplemental materials should be held to a minimum. Proposals submitted by fax or e-mail will not be accepted. The foundations will only review one proposal from an organization within a calendar year. In addition, proposals from institutions with more than one department, such as universities, should be coordinated through the appropriate central development office. A site visit to the organization will be made prior to Board review. Grantee organizations must wait a minimum of three years from their grant award date before the foundations will consider another request. Deadline: The Hearst Foundations accept proposals throughout the year. The Board of Directors for both foundations meets in March, June, September, and December to review proposals. Proposal review generally takes four to six weeks. Contact: For more information, visit The Hearst Foundations. Organizations located east of the Mississippi River should send requests to: The Hearst Foundations 300 West 57th Street, 26th Floor New York, NY 10019-3741 (212) 586-5404 Organizations located west of the Mississippi River should send requests to: The Hearst Foundations 90 New Montgomery Street, Suite 1212 San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 908-4500

Scope:

National

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